Do I need the Official Gazette?
| Your situation | Gazette? |
|---|---|
| Your board makes formal decisions that need to be published | Yes |
| You need a permanent record of policy changes | Yes |
| Election results and appointments need official publication | Yes |
| Bylaws require formal publication of certain decisions | Yes |
| You just need to send announcements to members | No — use Newsletter or Notifications |
| You want to share documents with members | No — use Files |
Publication types
| Category | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Decisions | Board resolutions, council decisions |
| Announcements | Official organizational announcements |
| Regulations | New rules, policy updates, bylaw amendments |
| Reports | Annual reports, audit summaries, financial statements |
| Elections | Election results, appointments, role changes |
| Amendments | Changes to previously published regulations |
Publishing a document
Official Gazette → Create Publication| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | The official title — “Resolution 2025-03: Budget Approval” |
| Category | Yes | Decision, Announcement, Regulation, etc. |
| Publication date | Yes | The official date (may differ from upload date) |
| Reference number | No | Official numbering — “RES-2025-03” |
| Content | No | Full text of the publication |
| Attachments | No | Supporting documents — signed PDFs, appendices |
Browsing and searching
Members access the gazette via Menu → Official Gazette.How to find publications
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Chronological | Browse newest-first (default view) |
| By category | Filter to see only Decisions, or only Reports, etc. |
| By date range | Find publications from a specific period |
| Full-text search | Search titles and content |
| By year | Browse the archive by year |
Visibility
| Setting | Who can read |
|---|---|
| Public | Anyone, including non-members |
| Members only | Logged-in members |
| Specific groups | Only members of selected groups |
| Administrators | Internal publications |
Notifications
When a new publication is posted, notify:- All members (email or push)
- Specific groups only
- Discussion announcement (auto-post)
Common scenarios
How should I number publications?
How should I number publications?
Use a consistent system — e.g., “RES-2025-01” for the first resolution of 2025, “ANN-2025-05” for the fifth announcement. Include the year so numbers don’t repeat and references stay unambiguous.
I need to correct a published gazette entry
I need to correct a published gazette entry
Don’t edit the original — publish a new entry as an “Amendment” or “Correction” that references the original. This preserves the historical record while making the correction official.
Nobody reads the gazette
Nobody reads the gazette
Enable email notifications for new publications. Reference gazette entries in newsletters (“See Gazette Decision RES-2025-03 for details”). Make the gazette the authoritative source so people have a reason to check it.
Can I use this for meeting minutes?
Can I use this for meeting minutes?
You can, but consider whether every set of minutes needs to be an official gazette entry. Reserve the gazette for formal decisions and outcomes. Store routine meeting minutes in Files instead.
Our bylaws require public posting of certain decisions
Our bylaws require public posting of certain decisions
Set the visibility to Public for those categories. The gazette page is accessible without login, satisfying public posting requirements.
Related
- Files — General document storage
- Newsletter — Announce publications to members
- Notifications — Configure gazette notifications